Mattress.......

[NYSail]

Hello all.... My 1986 Pearson 36-2 is in need of a new mattress for the aft cabin which makes a limit to the thickness. Right now the mattress is about 6 inches of foam (4 original foam with a 2 inch topper we bought). Looked at a couple of sites with big $$ and other sites that were more reasonable. Was wondering what "experience" has to say on this subject. Wife and I spend every weekend on the boat in the summer with a few couple week trips so it gets good use and I like to be comfortable and for things to last. The originals mattress is still ok but we need new.

Thanks for the help.....

Greg

 

[Steve Dion]

Greg:

Contact the folks at US Yacht Cushions in Fl. They can help you with different options (foam, memory form or latex). They also have patterns for many boats or can help you with a pattern and their prices are reasonable.

 

[pogo2]

memory foam

I cut and installed a 8" memory foam mattress in my V berth on my Newport 30. I bought it 2 years ago at Wal mart for $265, I needed a Queen size to make it fit the bow. Great sleeping on it, I also have one on my bed at home and bought one each for my 2 sons.

 

[DannyS]

We use the original 4" cushion that came with the boat and added an egg crate style cushion on top of that. We then added the Froli system and that makes a huge difference. We love it. Overall thickness is about 6 to 7 inches.

 

[Sumner]

This is really a hard topic to give a recommendation on as what is firm to one person isn't firm to the next and so on.

We like firm/firm and have been real happy with the foam that we got from the Foam Factory...

http://www.thefoamfactory.com/

...they have a wide selection of firmness and quality and good service along with good prices and for us the free shipping really pays off.

We bought the Lux Foam - High Quality which is the firmest and has the longest live span. We used it in the Mac for a couple months on the water and slept so well that we bought the same stuff for a mattress in the tear drop trailer, a mattress for the back of the Suburban and then even got it for our bed at home and are also going to use it in the Endeavour. Can you tell we like it . So now about any place we go we are sleeping on the same mattress. I'm not saying it is for everyone, but if you like firm you will like it. They also have others that aren't as firm.

We have been using the 3 inch and since it is firm we don't go through it and it gives us more headroom in the boat. We use the same at home with a sheet of plywood under it and over the beds inter-springs, but I'm just going to make a platform bed so that we can have storage under it. If you went with one that wasn't as firm then 4-5 inch might be better.

We also used the same foam for our cabin ....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor-canvas/canvas-20.html

...cushions. We might try the 4 inch for cabin cushions in the Endeavour or 3 inches with 1 inch of dryfast on the bottom. If I'm on those cushions 4 hours or so my boney butt starts to go through . For a couple hours the 3 inch are fine and Ruth has no problems with the 3 inch at all.

We used their dryfast for our cockpit cushions...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/outside-31-a.html

... and love it. Along with an open fabric that breaths from Sailrite no more soggy cockpit cushions. We ordered cut foam from the link above and then I found out how easy it is to cut with a $15 electric carving knife and now we order from their wholesale side......

http://www.foamdistributing.com/

better prices yet,

Sum

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[Steve Dion]

Latex is a natural product and prohibits the growth of mold and mildew. It also does not absorb moisture. Depending on who you talk to it is cooler to sleep on. The product will last for 20 or more years. It does not sag and can be purchase in different densities like other foam products. It is also more expensive than some of the other products so that may be a consideration for some.

 

[Johnb]

For what it is worth I have found it easy to cut foam using an electric meat carving knife. The blades moving in opposite directions cut rather than compressing the foam. This gives you the ability to custom sculpt a mattress if you need to.

 

[tedsbeds]

I have made boat mattresses for over 30 years. When buying a mattress inquire about foam density. 1.8 lb is the minimum you should use, 2.6 lb is even better. Foam is sold a lot of the time numbered 2645, 1835, 2627, 1030. The first two numbers refer to the density, i.e. the quality of the foam. The second two numbers refer to the firmness. 2645 would be a high density, very firm foam. A 1015 foam would be a cheap ,soft foam. On a boat a typically would recommend a base of 4" of 2645 and then a top layer of somethig softer like a 1815 or even a memory foam top layer. Latex is very nice, very heavy and very expensive. I usually apply a layer polyester fiber on top of the foam which act to seperate the foam from the fabric.

 

[NYSail]

Great advise everyone!! Once again, thanks for the great input.

I guess I need to figure a budget and go from there.......

 

[Sailm8]

check out overstocks.com for foam. We bought a 10 inch thick for our home and love it. Good prices